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#15

AWS IAM is ranked #15 in the IAM Software product directory based on the latest available data collected by SelectHub. Compare the leaders with our In-Depth Report.

AWS IAM Pricing

Based on our most recent analysis, AWS IAM pricing starts in the range of $10 or less.

Price
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Starting From
Undisclosed
Pricing Model
Monthly
Free Trial
No

Training Resources

AWS IAM is supported with the following types of training:

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars

Support

The following support services are available for AWS IAM:

Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Help Desk
Knowledge Base
Tickets
Training
24/7 Live Support

AWS IAM Benefits and Insights

Why use AWS IAM?

Key differentiators & advantages of AWS IAM

  • Enhanced Security: AWS IAM allows you to create fine-grained permissions, ensuring that users and applications have only the access they need, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
  • Centralized Access Management: Manage access for multiple AWS services from a single interface, simplifying the administration of permissions across your organization.
  • Scalability: Easily scale your access management as your organization grows, without compromising on security or performance.
  • Compliance Support: AWS IAM helps you meet regulatory requirements by providing detailed logs and reports of access and activity, aiding in audits and compliance checks.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enhance account security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of verification, reducing the risk of compromised credentials.
  • Granular Control: Define specific permissions for different roles and users, allowing for precise control over who can access what resources and perform which actions.
  • Temporary Access: Use IAM roles to grant temporary access to AWS resources, ideal for short-term projects or third-party collaborations.
  • Cost Management: By controlling access to resources, you can prevent unauthorized usage that could lead to unexpected costs, ensuring that only approved activities incur charges.
  • Integration with Other AWS Services: Seamlessly integrate IAM with other AWS services like EC2, S3, and Lambda, ensuring consistent access management across your cloud environment.
  • Automated Key Rotation: Automatically rotate access keys and credentials, reducing the risk of long-term exposure and enhancing overall security.
  • Customizable Policies: Create custom policies tailored to your specific security requirements, providing flexibility in how you manage access.
  • Delegated Administration: Delegate administrative tasks to trusted users without giving them full access, allowing for efficient management while maintaining security boundaries.
  • Detailed Activity Logs: Monitor and log all access and activity within your AWS environment, providing visibility and aiding in troubleshooting and forensic analysis.
  • Resource Tagging: Use tags to organize and manage permissions based on resource attributes, simplifying access control in complex environments.
  • Cross-Account Access: Enable secure access to resources across different AWS accounts, facilitating collaboration and resource sharing while maintaining security.

Industry Expertise

AWS IAM expertise is crucial for organizations that heavily utilize AWS services, particularly those with complex workloads and a need for granular access control. It's best suited for security professionals, DevOps engineers, and cloud architects who need to manage user identities, permissions, and access to AWS resources in a secure and scalable manner.

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Based on an aggregate of AWS IAM reviews taken from the sources above, the following pros & cons have been curated by a SelectHub Market Analyst.

Pros

  • Centralized Control: AWS IAM provides a single point for managing access to all your AWS resources, simplifying administration and boosting security posture.
  • Granular Permissions: IAM enables you to enforce the principle of least privilege by granting users only the specific permissions they need to perform their jobs, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or accidental changes.
  • Detailed Audit Trails: IAM logs every API call made with your AWS account, providing a comprehensive audit trail for tracking user activity and troubleshooting security incidents.

Cons

  • AWS Resource Limitation: AWS IAM can't manage access for resources outside of the AWS ecosystem, which is a problem for businesses that use a mix of cloud providers.
  • Steep Learning Curve: Setting up and managing IAM policies can be tricky, especially for large organizations with complex access needs. It's not exactly plug-and-play.
  • MFA Integration Challenges: While you can use multi-factor authentication, it requires extra steps to set up and isn't as seamlessly integrated as some businesses would prefer.

Researcher's Summary:

Is AWS IAM all it's cracked up to be? User reviews from the past year paint a picture of a service that, while powerful, has its share of quirks. Users consistently highlight the robust control AWS IAM gives them over their AWS resources. It's like having a highly customizable security guard at the door of your cloud, allowing you to decide who gets in, what they can access, and when. Need to grant a developer access to specific files in your S3 bucket while restricting access to others? AWS IAM can handle that. This granular control is a major selling point for many users.

However, the learning curve associated with AWS IAM is a recurring gripe. Users often find the interface complex and difficult to navigate, especially those new to the platform. Imagine trying to assemble a complex piece of furniture with a poorly written instruction manual - that's the kind of frustration some users experience. While AWS IAM excels at managing access within the AWS ecosystem, it notably lacks support for resources outside of it. This limitation is a dealbreaker for some, forcing them to seek third-party solutions for comprehensive access management.

Overall, AWS IAM is most suitable for businesses heavily invested in the AWS ecosystem, particularly those prioritizing granular control over their cloud resources. However, its complexity and limitations regarding external resources might give some users pause.

Key Features

Notable AWS IAM features include:

  • Fine-Grained Access Control: Allows you to specify who can access which resources and under what conditions, using policies written in JSON.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enhances security by requiring users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access.
  • Role-Based Access: Enables you to assign permissions to roles instead of individual users, simplifying permission management.
  • Temporary Security Credentials: Provides short-term access to AWS resources, ideal for applications and services that need temporary access.
  • Federated Access: Allows users to access AWS resources using credentials from an external identity provider, such as Google or Active Directory.
  • Service-Linked Roles: Automatically created roles that link to specific AWS services, ensuring the correct permissions are in place for service operations.
  • Resource-Based Policies: Attach policies directly to AWS resources like S3 buckets or DynamoDB tables, controlling access at the resource level.
  • Policy Simulator: A tool that lets you test and validate the effects of IAM policies before applying them, reducing the risk of misconfigurations.
  • Access Advisor: Provides insights into the permissions granted to users and roles, helping you identify unused permissions and tighten security.
  • Credential Report: Generates a report detailing the status of IAM users' credentials, including passwords and access keys, aiding in compliance and auditing.
  • Cross-Account Access: Allows you to grant access to resources in one AWS account to users in another account, facilitating collaboration and resource sharing.
  • Tag-Based Access Control: Use tags to manage and control access to AWS resources, enabling more flexible and dynamic permission management.
  • Identity Providers: Integrate with external identity providers to manage user identities and access centrally, supporting SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect.
  • Custom Policies: Create custom policies tailored to your specific security requirements, offering granular control over permissions.
  • Managed Policies: Utilize AWS-managed policies for common use cases, simplifying the process of assigning permissions.